Development of Modern Chinese Fashion

Clothing is a kind of language, memory,and culture. Its change records the changes of society and life.

After the Northern Expedition, the government stipulated a new clothing system. Men wore Chinese tunic suits (just the Mao suits) and western suits (just the suits we wear today). Some women clothing still kept the qing-style, while others followed the western style. Most girls in middle school in this way.

After  founding of the Republic of China, with the obsolescence of old clothing regulations and the complex social fashion of that time, the Chinese people’s clothing style entered a period of pluralism. Some of them wore suits,  robes, and some of them wore both.

Throughout 1950s, the fashion trend was led by Beijing. The role of the fashion icon was no longer a movie star but a national leader, like Mao Zedong.

At that time, in the eyes of the Chinese people, most of them were Soviet Union pictorials, periodicals and movies. The fashion columns and wearing style affected Chinese people indirectly.

In May 1966, great changes took place in China’s clothing style. In the “broken four olds” (break with old thoughts, old cultures, old habits and old blind faith), clothing, hairstyles and leather shoes were thought as the symbols of “class”, because Mao didn’t want people have “class” in society. Suits, cheongsams and many clothes were not allow to wear.

Since the Culture Revolution began, in order to show the loyalty and respect to Mao Zedong, people began to collect the photo badge of Chairman Mao and wore it on their chest, in front of the heart, regardless of any clothes. This is also a kind of  special clothing style.

The policy of reform and opening up started China’s domestic reforms. Opening to the outside world is a basic national policy of China. The policy of Reforms and Opening Up established a socialist market economy system.

In the 70s of the last century, not everyone could perm hair. Only the actors could rely on the certifies to perm. Until the arrival of the Reform and Opening Up in the 1980s, when people were free to make choices, perming hair became the most fashionable thing at that time.

Since the Reform and Opening Up, the colors and styles of clothing have become more diversified, and the fabric and texture also undergone great changes. In the 1990s, people’s lives transitioned to a well-to-do society, and their concepts were more open. People’s clothing is changing rapidly.